


sometimes even the sunflowers turn their heads

by fir8008



Series: give the bruises out like gifts [19]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Produce 48 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Chatting & Messaging, F/M, First Dates, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 18:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20801324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fir8008/pseuds/fir8008
Summary: PikaSoo: i really can’t believe you waited until i was gone to get a dateor, Hwanwoong and Goeun have their first date





	sometimes even the sunflowers turn their heads

**Author's Note:**

> writing thought process: let's send hwanwoongie on his first date .... but let's roast him a little first 
> 
> hello!! i'm so happy to be writing in this fandom again! i am very busy writing for my graduate courses, but writing fic is always a nice break from writing papers and plays too 
> 
> goeun is referenced and makes a brief appearance in this series in "give you my best side / tell you all my best lies" and reading at least the final chapter of that might be helpful to contextualize this fic, not entirely necessary, but could be useful. i also wanted to wait a little on posting this fic because she appears a bit more in the long fic i'm working on, but once again, that's not going to be done for a while, so since i have this written, i might as well post it. and i really wanted to write fluff but even when i do, there had to be some gentle roasting of hwanwoong by his friends haha 
> 
> i hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Title comes from IOI's "When the Cherry Blossoms Fade"

Hwanwoong is fast asleep, dead to the world, mouth hanging open and drooling onto his pillow with careless abandon, when his phone starts vibrating on his nightstand and he wakes up with a start, arms flailing for his phone, trying to make it stop. It’s the day after graduation and he wasn’t really planning on moving until the following day because he’s finally done with uni after completing a grueling double major and he deserves it. 

“Hello?” he groans. His face is slick with drool and he has definitely drooled on his screen. His eyes are still half glued shut with sand and trying to open them actually hurts. Who the hell is calling him, and god, why? 

“Yeo sunbae? Is this a bad time?” 

Hwanwoong is wide awake in one second. He swipes at his chin ineffectively with the back of his hand. His eyes are open even if they’re stinging and watery. He is sitting upright and definitely awake now. 

“Goeun! Hi. No, this is a great time, what’s up?” 

He can hear Goeun clear her throat delicately. He glances at his clock. It’s after noon, which means by all accounts it should be a good time to call someone, but Hwanwoong was dead asleep. 

“Yeo sunbae,” Goeun repeats. “You told me before that if we were to date, it would have to be after you graduated.” There’s a pregnant pause. “Do you want to go out on a date with me?” 

Hwanwoong pinches himself hard. He must still be dreaming. He definitely is, because he has also stopped breathing. 

“Yes,” he blurts back out after maybe pausing too long. “I’d love that. Yes. Let’s go out.” 

“Oh! Great!” Goeun pauses. “Well, I’ll think of somewhere to go, or something to do, and I’ll let you know. You can go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you.” 

“You didn’t wake me!” Hwanwoong stammers. “But that sounds fine. Anything is good. I don’t have plans.” 

“Alright. Bye, Yeo sunbae.” 

“Bye, Goeun.” Hwanwoong hangs up and pinches himself again. This is definitely still a dream. He’s going to wake up any minute and probably be really sad about it. 

“Oh my god.” 

Hwanwoong nearly falls off his bed in shock. Geonhee starts laughing uncontrollably. 

“What the fuck!” Hwanwoong yelps. 

“You’re such a dork,” Geonhee finally heaves out between laughs, holding his sides and wiping his eyes. “Oh my god, you’re a dork.” 

It seems that this wasn’t a dream after all. 

[New Group Chat] 

Lee Geonhee added Yeo Hwanwoong, Lee Insoo, Takada Kenta, Hong Eunki, and Zhu Zhengting to the group. 

Lee Geonhee named the group “Hwanwoong’s First Date Action Network” 

Lee Geonhee set Yeo Hwanwoong’s name to SlothWoong 

Lee Geonhee set Lee Insoo’s name to PikaSoo 

Lee Geonhee set Takada Kenta’s name to KentaChu 

Lee Geonhee set Hong Eunki’s name to Hong Mom

Lee Geonhee set Zhu Zhengting’s name to JungJung HyungHyung 

Lee Geonhee set his name to FrogHee

FrogHee: HWANWOONG HAS A DAAAAAAATEEEEEE

[Hwanwoong’s First Date Action Network] 

PikaSoo: WHAT 

PikaSoo: THIS IS HOMOPHOBIC 

PikaSoo: HOW COULD YOU WAIT UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY TO GET A DATE 

PikaSoo: ALSO, WHAT POOR GIRL WAS SO DESPERATE 

FrogHee: NA GOEUN 

FrogHee: SHE EVEN ASKED HIM OUT FIRST

KentaChu: the cafe girl!! congrats!! we all thought you’d make a cute couple!!

SlothWoong: i hate you i hate all of you also your matching pikachu onesies are not cute because you’re not cute please leave me alone to die (not you kenta hyung just insoo)

PikaSoo: jealous

SlothWoong: this is not necessary 

Hong Mom: where are you going for your date? 

SlothWoong: i am not telling you just so you can come and stalk me 

Hong Mom: i would never, that’s insoo’s job and he can’t stalk you from japan

SlothWoong: i do not trust him

JungJung HyungHyung: hanoongie!! fighting!! 

Hong Mom: *hwanwoongie 

SlothWoong: thank you jung jung hyung 

SlothWoong: you’re the only one i trust 

PikaSoo: rude 

PikaSoo: anyway what are the odds that hwanwoong is just going to make it really awkward because he’s never dated a girl before 

KentaChu: high 

SlothWoong: kenta i trusted you

FrogHee: top ten anime betrayals 

FrogHee: BUT i think the odds are low

FrogHee: for some reason she already wanted to date him so she probably knows he’s weird 

PikaSoo: i really can’t believe you waited until i was gone to get a date 

PikaSoo: i’m offended

SlothWoong: insoo i hate you

Hong Mom: it’s not even his fault 

Hong Mom: hwanwoong didn’t even ask her out 

SlothWoong: that was below the belt eunki 

PikaSoo: eunki knows everything about what’s below the belt 

Hong Mom: hi pot, it’s kettle 

SlothWoong: I HATE YOU ALL (NOT YOU JUNG JUNG HYUNG)

JungJung HyungHyung: i love you too hanwoongie!! 

Hong Mom: getting closer 

Hwanwoong finds it exceptionally disturbing that Eunki is sitting on his bed in his room and has apparently emptied Hwanwoong’s entire wardrobe out onto Geonhee’s bed.

“How did you get in here?” Hwanwoong asks, glaring at Geonhee’s empty bed suspiciously. 

“Sewoon let me in,” Eunki says. “He said you were out but I could wait for you in your room.” 

“And so you dumped out all of my clothes?” 

“We need to find you a date outfit. Where are you going?” 

Hwanwoong scowls. Goeun had texted him before asking if he wanted to meet at a cafe and then walk around the neighborhood because it had lots of shops and restaurants and a park and Hwanwoong hadn’t really been thinking about what to wear. Leave it to Eunki to worry about that part for him. 

“You actually have nice clothes,” Eunki adds, picking up a shirt and holding it out to Hwanwoong. 

“What do you mean ‘actually?’” Hwanwoong scowls. “I’m not going to dress up to go to the dance studio.” 

Eunki gives him a look - because Eunki does dress up to go to the dance studio - and shakes the shirt at Hwanwoong. “Try that on. When are you going out? Did you check the weather?”

“Didn’t check,” Hwanwoong says as he puts on the shirt. It’s a button down his mom got him and he absolutely doesn’t want to wear it on a date. It’s a shirt he wears to see his mom - to prove he wears what she buys him - not a shirt to impress a girl. “Don’t like this shirt either.” 

Eunki makes a face. “But it suits you.” 

“Won’t match the pants I want to wear.” 

“Show me.” 

Hwanwoong sighs and pulls out a pair of shorts. Eunki looks offended. 

“You can’t,” he says. “It’ll make you look short.” 

“I am short!” 

“What if she wears heels? You have to wear jeans.” Eunki is rifling through his clothes again. “These. These make your butt look good.” 

“Won’t wear heels,” Hwanwoong grumbles. “Kenta hyung says she purposely wears flats when she sees me.” 

“She could change her mind,” Eunki says dismissively. He hands Hwanwoong another shirt. “This, and the jeans.” 

“It’s going to be warm,” Hwanwoong says warily. He does look good, but looking good will definitely get cancelled out if Hwanwoong’s a sweaty mess. He and Goeun can probably both agree that being sweaty a lot comes with the territory of being a performance major, but they’re not putting on a dance show, they’re going on a date. 

“You’ll be fine,” Eunki says dismissively. “Don’t you want to look good?” 

Hwanwoong does want to look good, so he sighs and poses for Eunki, letting him take pictures at multiple angles for their friends to judge. 

[Direct Message from Takada Kenta to Yeo Hwanwoong]

Takada Kenta: hwanwoongie!! 

Takada Kenta: take some band-aids with you! goeun might wear new shoes and she could get a blister!

Takada Kenta: be prepared to be a perfect gentleman and have band-aids ready! 

Takada Kenta: hwanwoongie fighting!! 

Yeo Hwanwoong: thank you, kenta hyung

Takada Kenta: soosoo would never say it to your face, but he’s very happy for you and hopes this is the start of a happy relationship 

Yeo Hwanwoong: thanks, kenta hyung, i hope you two are enjoying your trip

Yeo Hwanwoong: send eunki pictures, he’s dying to know what you’re up to

Yeo Hwanwoong: he also demands a souvenir 

Takada Kenta: he already told us!! have fun on your date!!

It is sweltering and Hwanwoong wants to kill Eunki. 

Yes, he may look good, but he is also very sweaty. In fact, he’s so sweaty he kind of hopes Goeun doesn’t want to hug him at any point because if she does, she will probably get very turned off by his damp back. It is gross. Hwanwoong feels gross. 

“Yeo sunbae.” 

“Goeun sshi,” Hwanwoong smiles. 

Goeun looks radiant. Hwanwoong really regrets taking Eunki’s fashion advice because if anything, seeing Goeun look so breezy and cool makes him feel even sweatier. He glances down at her shoes, thinking of Kenta’s advice. They look relatively new. They have ankle straps and glittery bows on the toe of the shoe and they’re flat. They’re cute. 

“You look nice,” he says. “You lightened your hair.” 

Goeun reaches up to push hair behind her ear. She’s certainly a bit blonder than the last time he saw her in person. “Yes. It’s the summer so I went a bit lighter. By the fall semester I’ll probably go back to my natural color.” 

“It suits you.” 

“Thank you, Yeo sunbae. You look good too.”

“Just Hwanwoong is fine,” Hwanwoong says. “Since we are on a date…” He actually blushes. Is this how dating goes when you’re only having your first date in your twenties? 

Goeun blushes too, so it makes Hwanwoong feel a little better thinking at least they’re in the same boat. “Hwanwoong sunbae,” she amends. 

They walk to the cafe Goeun had picked out - it isn’t their usual spot, the cafe Kenta works at, which would probably offend Kenta - and they sit down inside where it’s blissfully air conditioned. Hwanwoong worries momentarily if they’re supposed to get something to share - like the massive milkshakes with curly straws at Kenta’s cafe - but Goeun leans forward in her seat to talk to him. 

“I heard this place is really famous for canelés,” Goeun says. “My housemate came here with a friend and said their coffee was only so-so, but I wanted to try their pastries.” 

“I’m really not picky about coffee,” Hwanwoong says. “My friends are, but I think we’re just loyal to that one cafe because Kenta hyung works there.” 

“He gives me discounts sometimes,” Goeun adds brightly. “I like it there too, but they don’t have a lot of small pastries.” 

Hwanwoong thinks of the dinosaur sized muffins that Kenta usually has with him (typically stale because they’re from the previous day) and nods. 

“I should be more picky about coffee because I work at the coffee station, but I think that job has made me even less interested in coffee.” Goeun laughs. “Oh, what did your friend say it was like? The first time you came by?” 

Hwanwoong cringes at the memory. “He said it was like toilet water. Did you really hear him say that?” 

Goeun smiles. “I did hear him, but I didn’t really mind him saying it. It’s definitely not the best quality.” 

“Insoo’s terrible,” Hwanwoong groans. “It’s best to limit your interactions with him. He’s always saying crude things.” 

“My friends can be a bit like that too. At my sharehouse, I opened the door after I called you to ask you out and all my housemates were crouching outside eavesdropping on me.” Goeun says. “Then they raided my closet and took me shopping.” 

“Honestly? My friends did the same thing to me. Down to dumping out all my clothes and making me try on outfits.” Hwanwoong sighs. “They mean well, but it was definitely annoying.”

“I guess it means they care.” 

Hwanwoong thinks it’s lucky he already knows Goeun and has already spent an entire semester talking to her because he feels nervous despite all that. He wants to impress her and look like a cool and reliable guy, even though he knows to some extent Goeun already thinks highly of him. He really likes her too and just doesn’t want to mess things up.

Like this canelé business. Hwanwoong’s never eaten one and he doesn’t actually know if there’s like a certain way to do it. Goeun does seem to know what she’s doing though, since she takes it and begins sawing it in half with a dainty butter knife. She pushes half towards him. Hwanwoong picks it up, furtively glancing at Goeun to make sure that he’s eating it correctly, and then bites into it. The outside is crispy and the inside is cakey. 

“Oh, this is much better than the ones from the bakery near my sharehouse,” Goeun says approvingly. 

“What are the ones near your sharehouse like?” 

“They’re kind of solid. Like they’ve been overbaked.” 

“I bet I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Hwanwoong says, popping the rest of his canelé into his mouth, “since I never had one until now.”

Goeun just smiles at him and sinks her teeth into her half. 

Hwanwoong should have researched topics to talk to girls about that aren’t about school because all he can honestly think of to chat about are the classes Goeun has lined up for the next semester. She stirs her straw in her fruit smoothie and tells him about her dread at having Professor Bae for her dance class. 

“Is she as scary as everyone makes her out to be?” Goeun asks, brow crinkling. 

“Yes,” Hwanwoong says. 

Goeun snorts behind her hand. “Sunbae, you’re supposed to tell me she isn’t scary.” 

Hwanwoong grins at her sheepishly. “But you’d get mad at me later if I told you that and then she scares you to death.” 

“That’s true,” she says thoughtfully. “But you took her and you lived.” 

“Barely. She’s tough, but I think you’ll see a lot of improvements with her teaching you.” 

“What about you, sunbae? What are you going to do now that you graduated?” 

Hwanwoong sighs. “Well, I don’t really want to be a choreographer so I’m going to get the ball rolling on auditioning for dance studios. The studio that Eunki works at is actually branching out and looking for male dancers to join their company, so I’ll audition there.” 

“I’m sure you’ll find a place,” Goeun says. “You’re really good.” 

Hwanwoong flushes slightly at her praise. “You are too,” he says. 

They leave the cafe - Goeun with more canelés for her housemates - and take a stroll through the park near the cafe. It’s still unpleasantly warm but a breeze blowing through every once a while keeps it from being unbearable. Unfortunately, being outdoors means Hwanwoong is quickly getting sweaty again, even more so when Goeun brushes the backs of their hands together. 

When Goeun actually takes his hand in hers, she glances up at him. “Oh, sunbae, your hand is sweaty.” 

Hwanwoong pulls his hand free and hastily wipes his hand on the side of his jeans, feeling wildly embarrassed. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, taking her hand again. 

Goeun smiles at him sweetly. “Are you nervous?” 

Hwanwoong points at the sky like an idiot. “It’s hot,” he says, sounding equally idiotic. 

Goeun giggles again, hiding her face behind her box of canelés. 

“Sunbae, you already know me,” Goeun says. “Do I make you nervous? Were you this nervous when you were peer advising me?” 

“Not when I was peer advising you,” Hwanwoong says. “But that was probably just because I knew I was supposed to be giving you advice, mentoring you, and it wouldn’t have been helpful if I had been too nervous to talk to you. This is different.” Hwanwoong swings their hands. “It’s a date. You probably asked me out because you think I’m cool or something, you have a good impression of me. And I don’t want you to stop having a good impression of me.” 

“I won’t,” Goeun squeezes his hand. “I told you before, I already liked you a lot. Jieun actually told me she thought it was weird I decided I’d wait for you to be ready to date me because I couldn’t know for sure you liked me back that way. But I wanted to, because you’re my type.” 

“I did like you back. All of my friends actually nagged me about the opposite thing, they asked me why we weren’t already dating if we had mutual feelings towards each other. Jaewoo was the only one who was ever on my side.” 

“Well, I’m happy we got to this point then, and all the waiting was worthwhile,” Goeun smiles at him brightly and Hwanwoong gives her hand a gentle squeeze. 

They walk around the park hand in hand, chatting about things other than classes, until Goeun pauses by some benches and asks Hwanwoong if he wants to sit for a minute. 

“Sure,” he says as he and Goeun sit down. 

Goeun reaches to undo the ankle strap of her shoe when Hwanwoong remembers Kenta’s message. He does actually have band-aids in his pocket, because he trusts Kenta’s advice marginally more than that of his other friends though he couldn’t say why, and so he fishes them out when Goeun slides her foot halfway out of her shoe. 

“Do you need a band-aid?”

Goeun blinks at him. “Oh, you have some? Yes, I do.” 

Hwanwoong opens one and crouches to place it over the blister that’s popped up on the back of Goeun’s heel. 

“I told my housemates I’d get blisters if I wore brand new shoes but I couldn’t really resist them.” 

“They are cute,” Hwanwoong agrees. “Here, I have more if there are others.” 

After Goeun’s feet are bandaged, Hwanwoong offers to walk Goeun back to her sharehouse and they start heading back, still hand in hand. 

“I had a nice time,” Goeun says. “I know it was just going to a cafe and taking a stroll, but I really liked spending time with you.” 

“I did too. Next time,” Hwanwoong glances at Goeun hopefully, “we can do something else, like go to the movies.” 

Goeun’s eyes are sparkling. “Do you want to go to the movies with me?” 

“Of course I do.” 

Goeun smiles. “You should pick a movie and we can go together.” 

“It’s a date?” Hwanwoong grins. 

“It’s a date,” Goeun confirms. “This is me,” she adds, nodding towards the apartment they’ve stopped in front of. “I’ll see you soon.” 

“Good night, Goeun,” Hwanwoong doesn’t know if he’s supposed to kiss her or something, but Goeun solves that by hugging him quickly. 

She giggles against his shoulder. “Sunbae, your back’s sweaty.” 

“I’m nervous,” he admits, returning her hug. 

“Good night,” she says, waving at him as she climbs the steps. He waits to watch her go inside and can faintly hear her yelling, “yah!” as she closes the door. He snorts, wondering if her housemates were waiting by the door eager to hear details about the date. 

Hwanwoong turns to head back home, pulling out his phone to check for what movies are playing at the cinema currently, and for showtimes.

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on Twitter @jy_kim8008 !!


End file.
